Netanyahu leads Israel election but falls short of majority
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and its far right and ultra Orthodox allies are leading Israel’s general election but appear short of a parliamentary majority, partial results show.
With 85 percent of ballots counted, Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 53 seats in the 120 member Knesset, compared with 48 for former military chief Gadi Eisenkot and three other opposition parties.
Both leaders have said they will seek to form a governing coalition. Arab led parties, projected to win 19 seats, could influence the outcome, although most Jewish parties have ruled out working with them.
Hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots, including votes from soldiers, diplomats and hospital patients, remain uncounted. Final results could take days, after which President Isaac Herzog will consult political factions and invite a candidate to form a government.
Girl seriously injured in wolf attack at German wildlife park
An eight year old girl has been seriously injured in a wolf attack at Johannismhle wildlife park in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, German police said.
The girl was inside an enclosure with a staff member and two other children when the incident occurred on Wednesday. She was airlifted to hospital with head injuries, while no other injuries were reported.
Police said the circumstances were under investigation. German newspaper Bild reported that the incident happened before the park opened and that the girl may have been taking part in a special visit.
The park, which houses grey and Arctic wolves alongside animals including bears and lynxes, has been temporarily closed. Its website says it is expected to reopen on November 2.
Spain train crash death toll rises to 68
At least 68 people have been killed and dozens injured after two high speed trains collided in central Spain, in one of Europe’s deadliest rail disasters in recent decades.
The crash happened on Wednesday morning about 140 kilometres south of Madrid, when a train travelling from Madrid to Seville struck another train that had stopped on the tracks. Several carriages were thrown down an embankment.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer failure had led to the first train stopping, after which a control centre in Madrid made an ‘inexplicable’ decision to allow trains to move again without speed restrictions. The precise sequence of events remains under investigation.
The train operated by private company Iryo was carrying 147 passengers, while the Renfe train involved had 397 passengers on board. Survivors described passengers being thrown about, trapped in wreckage and breaking windows to escape.
Flávio Bolsonaro says US trip was not an escape from Brazil
Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro has denied fleeing the country after arriving in Miami following his defeat in Sunday’s presidential election.
‘I did not flee Brazil; I left for the sake of Brazil,’ Bolsonaro said in his first statement since leaving. He said he had travelled to protect his family and described himself as a victim of political persecution.
Donald Trump, the US President confirmed that the United States had granted visas to Bolsonaro and his family, saying they had been given permission to enter the country. Trump also said he believed Bolsonaro and his family had been treated unfairly, while declining to endorse his allegations about the election.
Bolsonaro repeated unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud and said he had left a ‘regime of exception’. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won re election by more than four million votes, criticised his departure, saying those with nothing to hide had nothing to fear.
Fed holds interest rates as it awaits more economic data
The US Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.75 to 4 percent, opting to wait for further economic data as inflation remains elevated.
The decision was approved by 10 members, with two dissenting. The central bank said the economy was expanding at a strong pace, while officials weighed the outlook for inflation and employment ahead of the US midterm elections.
Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh said he expected data on third quarter economic growth to show strong investment and consumer spending. He argued that productivity gains could allow the economy to expand faster without generating excessive inflation.
Warsh said he believed inflation could return to the Fed’s 2 percent target without deliberately slowing economic activity or pushing up unemployment. The central bank has signalled that further decisions will depend on incoming data.
Tanzania discovers natural gas for first time in more than a decade
Tanzania has discovered an estimated 223 billion cubic feet of natural gas in the Mnazi Bay area in the south of the country, marking its first gas discovery in more than 10 years.
Energy Minister Juma Homera said the reserves were found at the Kasa-1X ST2 well, explored jointly by state owned Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation and French energy company Maurel and Prom.
The discovery followed drilling at three wells, MB-5, MS-2 and Kasa-1X ST2, which authorities expect to help increase domestic gas supply. Maurel and Prom said production could begin as early as next month.
Tanzania is also discussing small scale liquefied natural gas projects with four investors, Homera said. Before the discovery, the country’s known gas reserves stood at about 57.5 trillion standard cubic feet, according to the energy regulator.
Eastern Libya bans entry of Iranian and Afghan nationals
Libya’s eastern based administration has banned Iranian and Afghan nationals from entering the territory through land, sea and air ports, extending restrictions previously imposed on citizens of four African countries.
The government announced the decision on Wednesday, saying the Interior Ministry would oversee enforcement. Iranian and Afghan nationals without valid residence permits would also be deported under the directive.
Libya has remained divided between rival administrations in the east and west since 2014, complicating efforts to establish unified national policies on security and migration.
The country has become a key transit route for migrants seeking to reach Europe across the Mediterranean after the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. Conflict and political instability have continued to shape migration flows through the country.
US sanctions Rwanda’s defence ministry over Congo conflict
The United States has imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s defence ministry over the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, escalating pressure on Kigali to end its alleged support for armed rebels.
The sanctions come as fighting continues between Congolese forces and the Rwanda backed M23 rebel group, also known as the Alliance Fleuve Congo. Rwanda denies supporting the group.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called on Rwanda to halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern Congo. Washington said the measures were intended to pressure Kigali to help end the conflict.
Donald Trump, US President’s administration has sought to broker peace between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which signed an agreement in 2025. However, the deal has done little to halt fighting on the ground.
Air Algérie resumes Tripoli flights after 12 years
Algeria’s national airline, Air Algérie, has resumed direct flights to Tripoli after nearly 12 years, restoring an air link disrupted by Libya’s prolonged political and security crisis.
The internationally recognised Government of National Unity said the airline would initially operate two flights a week. The reopening ceremony took place at Mitiga airport, Tripoli’s only functioning airport.
Many international airlines suspended services to Libya after civil war erupted in 2014, leaving rival administrations competing for control of the country. Some carriers later resumed flights following a 2020 ceasefire that largely ended major fighting.
Despite the reduction in large scale hostilities, Libya remains politically divided, with rival factions periodically clashing over territory and economic resources. The restored route could improve travel and commercial links between the neighbouring North African countries.
Mozambique seeks further debt relief after China reschedules payments
Mozambique plans to negotiate additional debt relief with its creditors after China agreed to reschedule some of the country’s debt payments, as the government seeks to ease pressure on public finances.
The finance ministry said on Wednesday that it would prioritise negotiated solutions to improve repayment terms and reduce fiscal strain, while trying to avoid a comprehensive debt restructuring.
Mozambique announced on Monday that China had agreed to adjust payment schedules, but did not disclose the amount covered by the arrangement. The government also plans to discuss with bilateral creditors options for converting debt into investments.
Official data show Mozambique owed China about $1.28 billion at the end of June, representing nearly 15 percent of its total external debt and making China its largest bilateral creditor. The resource rich country continues to face a heavy debt burden that the World Bank and International Monetary Fund have assessed as unsustainable.